After the past few days, America needs something to be mad at and quick. Luckily the NRA and Instagram have stepped in to help our rage cravings. The NRA has been unusually silent throughout aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Its Twitter accounts are collecting dust and its Facebook page has been shut down after pro-gun control commenters stormed the gates shortly after the shooting. In absence of them talking or defending themselves, they have become the perfect boogymen to vilify with impunity and the Internet has not passed up the opportunity.

Other treads gaining traction include articles and posts warning of associating autism and Aspergers with the rampage. News articles have implied gunman Adam Lanza had a form of autism (Aspergers), but like everything else news articles have implied about Lanza, it’s probably wrong.

Meanwhile, people had feared things would change after Facebook took over Instagram and now that change has come in the form a new privacy policy. Now Instagram can sell your photos, and you can’t op out. OMG! Those lame sepia-toned photos of your breakfast may now show up in a national ad campaign! Naturally, users are outraged, outraged! And Facebook may again have to go back to the drawing board with another scheme to make some money.

Finally, the teen soap ended its TV run last night, revealing the identity of the elusive Gossip Girl. Don’t worry, I didn’t watch it (shocking I know) so there will be no dreaded spoilers. If you want to know about last night’s Hoarders, however …

NRA (Sandy Hook, Aspergers, Adam Lanza)Trending on: Baltimore Twitter, National Twitter, Google PlusWhy: The schools of Newtown, which stood empty in the wake of a shooting rampage that took 26 of their own, will again ring with the sounds of students and teachers on Tuesday as the bucolic Connecticut town struggles to return to normal. [The Baltimore Sun]

Instagram (Facebook)Trending on: National Twitter, Google PlusWhy: Instagram said today that it has the perpetual right to sell users' photographs without payment or notification, a dramatic policy shift that quickly sparked a public outcry. The new intellectual property policy, which takes effect on January 16, comes three months after Facebook completed its acquisition of the popular photo-sharing site. Unless Instagram users delete their accounts before the January deadline, they cannot opt out. [CNET]

Gossip GirlTrending on: Baltimore Twitter, Google TrendsWhy: The series “Gossip Girl” came to a close last night–and, perhaps improbably, in a flash forward scene taking place five years in the future, a character seemingly ended up with Lisa Loeb, a pop singer whose biggest hit came in the 90s. [Wall Street Journal]

Richard Engel (Syria)Trending on: National Twitter, Google TrendsWhy: An NBC news team, including chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, was freed in Syria on Monday after an Islamist rebel group killed two of their kidnappers at a checkpoint, the network reported on its website on Tuesday. The team, which later spoke live on the network, were held captive by an unidentified group for five days. Engel, 39, along with other employees the network did not identify, disappeared shortly after crossing into northwestern Syria from Turkey on Thursday. The network had not been able to contact them until they were freed. [The Baltimore Sun]

CatfishTrending on: Baltimore TwitterWhy: On last night's episode, Kya is dying to meet the love her life — and she didn't exactly find him on OkCupid. "Kya and Alyx met on a website called Vampire Freaks," "Catfish" co-creator Nev Schulman told MTV News, name-checking the social-networking site for the gothic-industrial subculture. "So that was an interesting twist to the story that we'd never seen." [MTV]

RAW (Slammy Awards)Trending on: Baltimore TwitterWhy: This week's episode of WWE Raw seemed ... crowded. I don't just mean in personnel, though there were many -- aside from the regular plethora of WWE superstars (including some still on the roster you don't regularly see), Raw saw returns from "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, the New Age Outlaws and the trio of "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Ricky Steamboat and Jim Ross (who all presented Slammy Awards), Tommy Dreamer (who competed in a match) and The Boogeyman (who seemed like he was there just to provide a random "tell me I didn't just see that" moment before a commercial break). Big E Langston, who is currently one of the most popular standouts at NXT, closed Raw by attacking John Cena, as a smiling AJ Lee watched on. [The Baltimore Sun]

Daniel InouyeTrending on: Google TrendsWhy: Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye, a decorated World War Two veteran who lost an arm in battle and represented Hawaii in Congress since its statehood more than a half century ago, died on Monday at age 88. [The Baltimore Sun]

Goodbye 2012, it's been real. But on the trends front, we end on a sad note. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West -- two of the most obnoxious people in the world -- are reproducing. Joe Flacco can't even claim the title of the NFL's most pathetic quarterback. Thanks to Congress, the economy may be on...

Well, 12:01 a.m. came and went (even in Mayan Time, otherwise known as Central Time) and nothing really happened. Although Annapolis was plunged into darkness and bathed in an eerie blue light, BGE assures us it wasn't apocalypse-related. Pessimists are still holding out hope though, guessing...

It's the end of the world as we know and New Zealand feels fine. Yup, it's official the Mayan Apocalypse has snubbed Oceanian and the rest of the world will likely make it through Dec. 21 in one piece. (Shocking I know). The Mayan Calendar has run out so it's probably time to break down and get...